More condolences, help pour in for quake victims
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
More messages of condolences and offers of assistance are pouring in from various countries for Monday's earthquake victims on Nias island, off the west coast of North Sumatra.
The 8.7-magnitude quake struck the remote Nias island on late Monday and killed an estimated 1,000 people. The quake occurred just three months after the earthquake-triggered tsunami in the Indian Ocean region that killed at least 250,000 people.
The 25-member European Union (EU) presidency expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the Indonesian government.
"In these difficult times, the Presidency offers its support and solidarity to the Indonesian people," the Royal Netherlands Embassy, in its capacity as acting president of the EU, said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
Russia, which participated actively in emergency efforts in tsunami-affected Aceh, sent a rescue team and a mobile hospital to Nias on Thursday, the Russian Embassy in Jakarta said in a press release.
"The team consisting of 48 rescuers, doctors, nurses and relief workers is due to arrive in Medan by transport plane Ilyushin-76 in the early hours of April 1, 2005," the embassy said.
From Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday.
"On behalf of all Russians I express my deep condolences to the relatives and near ones of those who died," the telegram, the contents of which were made available to the Post by RIA Novosti, said.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw had sent condolences to his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda, following the quake that struck Nias on late Monday.
"On behalf of the British government and people I wanted to express my sincere condolences for the loss of life as a result of the earthquake ... As always, my government stands ready to help in any way appropriate," Straw said in a statement which was released in Jakarta by the British Embassy.
South Africa, which is a co-host of this month's Asian-African Summit in Jakarta, also conveyed its condolences to Susilo in a message on Tuesday.
"South Africa stands ready to assist the government and people of Indonesia in whatever manner it can and within the limited resources at its disposal," News24 reported on Thursday quoting President Thabo Mbeki's message.
The Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta informed the Post on Wednesday that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had sent a condolence message to Susilo.
"On behalf of the Government and people of Thailand, I would like to extend my condolences and sympathy to you and, through you, to the people of Indonesia as they are coping with the effect of this disaster," Thaksin said in the message.
Meanwhile, the Mexican Embassy announced on Thursday that Mexico's third ship ARM Papaloapan, which left Veracruz port on Feb. 11, will arrive in Medan on Sunday.
Earlier, the Mexican Navy sent ARM/Zapoteco and ARM Usumacinta to Aceh with humanitarian assistance and both have returned to their bases.
"The Papaloapan is carrying 1,105 tons of humanitarian relief supplies for the victims of the earthquake/tsunami and for the rehabilitation of the electricity network," the embassy said in a statement.
Mexican Embassy Counselor Jose Barojas told the Post that some of these supplies could be diverted to Nias island.
The World Health Organization's Indonesian office released US$10,000 on Tuesday for immediate relief operation in Nias, its office announced in Jakarta.